Singapore's parliament decriminalized sex between men on Tuesday, but in a blow to the LGBT community, it also amended the constitution to prohibit court challenges that have led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in other countries.
Other regions of Asia, such as Taiwan, Thailand, and India, are recognizing more rights for the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
Activists applauded the repeal, but said the amendment to the constitution is disappointing because it means that citizens will be unable to file legal challenges to issues such as the definition of marriage, family, and related policies, as these will be decided solely by the executive and legislature.
The government has justified altering the constitution, arguing that such choices should not be made by the court. The present legal definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman has been ruled out by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his successor.
This week, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam stated in parliament, "We will try to maintain a balance...to uphold a stable society with traditional, heterosexual family values, but with space for homosexuals to live their lives and contribute to society."
Thanks to the People's Action Party's dominance in parliament, both the repeal and the constitutional amendment were carried with an overwhelming majority. There is currently no timeline for the implementation of the new legislation.
However, the amendments leave the door open for a future legislature to broaden the definition of marriage to include same-sex partnerships.
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